HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 02-19 Maplewood City Council Calls Emergency Session after Shooting Outside Stargatge Nightclub KSTP
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Maplewood City Council Calls
Emergency Session after Shooting
Outside Stargate Nightclub
Maplewood City Council Calls Emergency
Session after Shooting Outside Stargate
Nightclub
February 19, 2017 10:30 PM
The Maplewood City Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the
future of Stargate Bar and Nightclub after a series of shootings.
At least five people were hurt after as many as 60 shots were fired early Saturday morning
outside the Stargate Nightclub in Maplewood. None of the injuries are considered life-
threatening.
http://kstp.com/news/two-injured-stargate-nightclub-maplewood-shooting-police-call-massive-public-safe...2/21/2017
Maplewood City Council Calls Emergency Session after Shooting Outside Stargate Nightclub | KSTP.comPage 2 of 7
Maplewood police say it's not the first time they've have had to investigate an incident at the
club, and they're calling this "a massive public safety concern."
"People were running from the club," Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell said. "As people
were running, a number of shots were fired. Simply put this can't continue; this either needs to
stop or this business needs to close."
RELATED: Shots Fired After Large Fight Outside Maplewood Nightclub
(http://kstp.com/news/stargate-nightclub-maplewood-rice-street-
fight/4171999/)
KSTP
Employees of neighboring businesses said Stargate's incidents are concerning.
Keeping a steady stream of customers has been somewhat of a challenge for Abdul Habid's
Maplewood smoke shop.
"It happened again," said Abdul Habid, owner of New Smokes. Habid took security footage from
a shooting outside Stargate last year.
Nearby businesses are still cleaning up.
"I was mad when I came in, \[there were\] bottles everywhere," Habid said. "I ended up cleaning
for 30 minutes."
http://kstp.com/news/two-injured-stargate-nightclub-maplewood-shooting-police-call-massive-public-safe...2/21/2017
Maplewood City Council Calls Emergency Session after Shooting Outside Stargate Nightclub | KSTP.comPage 3 of 7
Schnell said it's concerning on a number of levels.
"When this kind of level of damage happens because of shots being fired, that is something
we're concerned about," he said.
One business owner needed a door replacement on Saturday because a bullet was lodged in
the entrance to his restaurant. But he says he's okay with Stargate remaining open, as long as it
gets its act together.
"Of course I need the place to be safe so they should find a way to make it safe," said Ahmed
Mahfouz, owner of D&J Fish and Chicken.
For others, the incident was the final straw.
"We lost customers because people don't feel like coming out," Habid said. "That will affect us,
we have a bill to pay. We can't afford this."
Before Saturday's incident, the club's owner, Paul Xiong, had plans to meet with the Maplewood
City Council later this month to discuss its history of problems.
Stargate has been at the center of several other investigations. Most recently, a fight involving
about 30 people last summer led to a shooting.
In May 2015, a security guard at the nightclub shot and killed a man during a fight with a group.
The guard was not charged in the man's death.
314
Credits
Brett Hoffland and Joe Mazan
Updated: February 19, 2017 10:30 PM
Created: February 18, 2017 03:02 PM
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http://kstp.com/news/two-injured-stargate-nightclub-maplewood-shooting-police-call-massive-public-safe...2/21/2017